Jacobs still loves Jerry Rice despite being called 'soft'

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Former San Francisco 49ers receiving great Jerry Rice, now an ESPN analyst, describes massive New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs as "a little soft." Jacobs isn't coming back hard at Rice.

"I grew up a San Francisco 49er fan. I've loved Jerry Rice. I still love Jerry Rice. I give him a lot of credit for the game being the way it is today. I have nothing negative to say about Jerry. If he feels that way, he feels that way," Jacobs said Thursday as the Giants prepped for their NFC title game against the 49ers.

Then, he added, "I'll bet you he won't tackle me."

Rice, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was asked on ESPN's SportsCenter whom he favors Sunday if rain in San Francisco puts emphasis on the running game.

"That goes to San Francisco," said Rice said. "I like Ahmad Bradshaw (another Giants running back), I like Brandon Jacobs but I feel like Brandon Jacobs is a little bit soft.

"He can't get away from a defender. This guy is 265, and it upsets me when I see him get tackled by a guy that's like 190 or 200 pounds."

Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride defended Jacobs, listed at 6-4, 264. The seven-year vet from Southern Illinois had a 14-yard touchdown run last weekend against the Green Bay Packers.

"Just because you see this big, hulking man and if he's not running over somebody every snap, then people are almost disappointed," said Gilbride.

"Well, it's unfortunate the people he's going against are big, powerful men as well. I think once gets going … I'm not sure there's many people that like to get in his way. It takes him, as it does any back, an opportunity to get his feet underneath him and get through the hole. But once he gets through the hole, he's really, and I man this is a positive way, a freak of nature.

Gilbride said he's seen smaller defenders "shying away" from Jacobs once he gets past the line.

"Until you get by the line of scrimmage, those guys are 300-plus pounds. They're bigger than he is … plus he hasn't had a chance to build up much momentum. But once he gets going, he's a powerful guy," said Gilbride.

During Rice's ESPN segment, he added with a smile, "Just a little big soft, I'm sorry. I'm sure he's going to be looking for me."

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines.

About Nate Davis

Nate Davis is a reporter, blogger and editor who's been at USA TODAY since 2000. He has covered the NFL since 2005. No, he did not play quarterback for Ball State. Davis' succession of our esteemed colleague Sean Leahy at The Huddle is considered a Brady-for-Bledsoe swap by most "insiders."More about Nate